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“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

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Views from the Choir Loft

“Tu Es Petrus” (Rec. 2017 Symposium)

Jeff Ostrowski · February 25, 2018

HIS MORNING, I stumbled upon a frightening disclosure by a popular Catholic composer who shall remain nameless. He admitted in a public statement that his sacred music compositions were attempts to copy John Denver. He also confessed that he knew nothing about music theory and “just wanted to play my guitar at church.” Surely something like this will demoralize us, right? No, it won’t—let us remember that serious Catholics will always desire authentic, holy, dignified music. No matter how many people imitate John Denver on the guitar in our churches, legitimate composers like Palestrina and Victoria will always be cherished by serious people. Period. 1

When we discover people replacing the traditional Catholic music with poor imitations of John Denver, we must find the courage to say: “Not in my church.”

Let me demonstrate such love still exists:

The following beautiful piece by Lorenzo Perosi (d. 1956) was sung by participants of the 2017 Symposium, conducted by Dr. Horst Buchholz.


Sign up for Sacred Music Symposium 2018.

Don’t miss your opportunity to deepen your knowledge of authentic Roman Catholic music!

Come meet friendly Catholics who desire to worship Almighty God with dignified music!



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   For more on this, read about “the worm that dieth not” here and here.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • Gorgeous Book

If there is a more beautiful book than Abbat Pothier’s 1888 Processionale Monasticum, I don’t know what it might be. This gorgeous tome was today added to the Saint John Lalande Online Library. I wish I owned a physical copy.

—Jeff Ostrowski
Sound Familiar?

1 June 1579: “The chapter passes a rule that anyone ascending to the new organ without official permission shall be fined a month’s pay.”

26 October 1579: “The altar boys remain always separate and distinct from choirboys—the one group learning only plainchant and assisting at the altar, the other living with the chapel-master and studying counterpoint and polyphony as well. Father Francisco Guerrero postpones his departure for Rome and instead spends the entire year in Seville making ready for the trip. In the meantime he neglects his choirboys. On 16 November, after considerable complaint against their unruliness and ignorance, he engages an assistant, Bartolomé Farfán.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“We know that originally the offertories of the repertoire included a series of verses, just like the introit and the communion, but generally more ornate. Many of these are musical compositions of great beauty. They quickly fell into disuse, and we find them only in the most ancient manuscripts. The only remaining trace of this older arrangement in our present-day liturgy is that of the offertory of the Requiem Mass.”

— Dom Joseph Gajard (1956)

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